Building construction



'ume 2Q, H95@ O, MANKKE 2,512,029

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 9, 1945 l. I II I I I I I I I I J 1N V EN TOR.`

Patented June .20,` 1950 UNITED STATE BUILDING CONSTRUCTIN Onnie Mankki, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to Designers for Industry, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of` Ohio Application January 9, 1945, Serial No. 572,902

(Cl. .Z-4).

.Y 2 Claims. 1`

This invention relates tor building construction and aims to providel a novel connection for panels or the like by which the meeting edges of adjacent panels are held in relatively tight engagement with each other.`

Another object of the pres-ent invention is tov provide an improved construction of this char-y acter, in which resiliently acting means embodied in the connection urges the edges of the panels toward a tight engagement which i-s constantly maintained regardless of expansion and contraction occurring in the panels.

A further object of the invention is to provide an vimproved connection `for panels or the like of the kind having spaced side walls, and in which the connection embodies resiliently acting means engaging the panels at points adjacent the side walls thereof so as to urge the side Walls of adjacent panels toward edgewise abutting engagement.

- Stillanother object is to'provide an improved connection `of the character just mentioned, in which the contiguous edges of the panels have` intertting engagement.

- The invention can be further brieflysummarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly set out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet ofdrawings:

Fig. 1 is a face view showing building construction embodying the novel connectionof the pres-v ent invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar elevatio-nal view but showing the connection on a larger scale; and

' Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through the connection as indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The novel construction of the present invention can be used to advantage in connecting various building units but is especially suitable for connecting prefabricated panels'or the like which are frequently employed in walls, ceilings or partitions. In the drawing this novel connection is shown as being used for connecting the contiguous or meeting edges of a pair of adjacent units or panels I0 and Il, and utilizes connecting devices 2l which are described in detail hereinafter. f

The panels shown in this instance are of the kind comprising a frame I2 and spaced side wallsA .I3 and, I4 connected to such Iframe. The :framev i2 embodied in the panels In and II may be made of wood and as here shown comprises ay plurality of vspaced substantially 'parallel frame members or so-called stud members l5,such as 2 x 4s, which are suitably connected to otherframe members I6 which may also be 2 x 4s and which extend at substantially right `angles to the frame members I5. Along one pair of opposed edges of the panels Id and II the frames'- I2 are provided with additional frame members I 'I which may be in the form of 2 X 4s and which.` extend substantially parallel to the frame mem-f bers I5 and are spaced from the latter and con' nected therewith through the blocks or spac` ers I8.

The side walls I3 and I4 of the panels Ill and` Il are in the form of sheets or plates which Ican be formed of any suitable material such as ply-y wood, wall board, or the like, and are 'appliedf against opposite sides of the frames I2 and se cured to the latter as by means of nails or other fastening elements i9 extending through the sheets and into the frame members. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the sheets I3 and I4 preferably do not extend over the frame members Il and: I8, the latter being left temporarily uncovered- As shown in the drawing, the frames I2 of the panels ill and II are provided with end members 23 and 2F. which form an important part of the novel connection by which the adjacenty edges of the panels are joined together. These end members are substantially parallel with the frame members I5 and extend across the ends of the frame members I6 and have the ends of the frame members Il connected therewith as shown in Figs. l and 2. The end member 23 is here shown as being a 1 X 4 and the end member 24 is here shown as being a 2 x 4. The edgesN of the sheets or walls I3 and I 4 of the panel I0 project beyond the end member 23 as a pair of spaced flanges 25 and 26. In the panel II. the edges of the sheet walls I3 and I4 lie at or adjacent the mid-plane of the end member 24 so that a portion 2l of this end member, representing approximately one-half of the thickness thereof, projects beyond the edges of these walls.

When the panels Il) and II are assembled to form a wall, ceiling or partition they are placed in alignment with each other, as shown in the drawing, with the projecting portion 21 of the end member 24. of the4 panel I I' extending into` the recess between the anges 25 and' 26 oi the panel I0. The flanges 25 and 26 are made of a length such that their outer edges 30 will-1 have abutting engagement with the correspond.- ing outer edges 3| of the walls I3 and I4' of the panel Il while the outer faces132 and. 33 of; the end members 23 and 24 remainseparated by-the intervening space 34.

The connecting Adevices 2I serveY to retain the adjacent panels I and II in the desired aligned relation and with their contiguous or meeting edges securely connected together in a manner such that the-edges 30' and` 3J of the panelwalls. will be resiliently held in abutting engagement. withl each. other. rBhe resilient' action of thea con`` necting devices 2|= is` veryimportant :beca-use it.-

causes the edges 30- and 3| of the panel walls to bev constantly held inV such abutting engagement sovthat a tight joint will be maintained betweenthe contiguous edges of adjacentpanels evenv though the panelsy may be later' subject to expansion; or contractionor even to a, limited amount of misalignment or displacement. The; connecting devices 2| are provided. in suitable. number for holding the panelsA in connected re lation, andas mentioned. above, can be readily installed in the panels through the spaces` 23 provided therein. After the panelshave lbeen erected with. the connecting; devices 2`I1 installed therein, the rows of spaces 2liv can. be closed. uncovered bytrimy boards or any other suitable material.

' The connecting devices; 2'I- may vary somewhat connecting member. a distance suflicient to flex.

the plates 36 and 3l to thereby cause the latter. toy apply4 pressure to the end members of the panels ina direction for urging the: edges 30 and 3fl of the panel walls toward abutting engagement; with each other.

Another important feature of this novel con,- nection is that the bowed members 35 and 3T. are disposed so that their ends 40 engage the inner faces of: the end membersof thev panels at points immediately adjacent the side walls I3' andi I4 as shown in Fig. 3. When the. pressure off the bowed resilient plates 36 and 3'I applied to the panels at thesev points it acts, more directly` and` effectively for urging the edges 3D' and 3i. of the panel' walls into abutting engagement; It will? be; seen also that this construction and arrangement for. the bowed'. plates 33 and 3.-'I is less likeiyto result' in distortionV of the end members;

23 and 24 of the panels and these end members' will be maintained more properly in alignment with each other so that there will be little or no tendency for the flanges 25 and 26 of the panel I to be pushed or wedged out of the planes of the outer faces of the panels. Moreover, it will be seen that the application of the pressure by the resilient plates in this manner tends to maintain the end member 24 in such position that it can have relative sliding movement between the flanges 25 and 26 without cramping or binding so that the work of installing the panels in proper alignment with each other and drawing their edges into interfitting and abutting engagement is greatly facilitated.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will now be readily understood' that the present invention provides building` construction of an improved form in which a novel connection for prefabricated panels or units facilitates the installing and connecting of such panels inY proper position and alignment, and produces a relatively tight joint between the contiguous edges of the adjacent panels which is constantly maintained even though expansion and contraction and a limited amount ofmisalignment or shifting may subsequently` occur inthe panels.

While I have illustrated and described the improved building construction and panel connection of the present invention in considerable detail, it will be understood of course that I do not wish to be correspondingly limited but regard my invention as including all changes and modi cations coming within the scope of the appended-i claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In building construction,- a pair of. units each having an end member and a pair of spaced. side walls disposed on opposite sides of and con` nected with such end memben, said units being, disposed' in substantially aligned relation with. edges of said side wallsvof one unit in abutting engagement with corresponding edges of: the side walls of the other unit and with the outer faces of said end members adjacent to but spaced from each other, bowed resilient plates engaging the remote sides of said end members only at: points closely adjacent said side walls, and. a. fastenery extending through said end members and resilient plates for connecting the panels and holding said. resilient plates in a flexed condition for urging said side walls of the two unitstoward said abut-` ting engagement.

2. In building' construction, a. pair ofA units each having an end member and a pair of spaced. side wails disposed on opposite sides of and. con.- nected with such. end member, the side walls of one unit projectingV beyondA the outer face of its. end member and' the end member of the other unit projecting beyond' the outer* edges of its. side Walls, said. units being disposed in contiguous relation with the projecting portion of the end. member of said other unit engaging between the; projecting portions of the side walls of said onev unit and the projecting portions of the side walls of: said one. unit being of a length. to abuttingly engage the edgesl of the side walls of said other unit and hold the end, members of said units in. spaced relation', bowed resilient plates engaging the remote sides` of said end members only atv points closely adjacent said side walls, and a fastener extending through said end members and resilient plates for connecting the panels and holding said resilient plates: inz a exed condi-tion.

8 for urging said side walls of the two units toward Number Name Date said abutting relation. 1,786,497 Kriek et a1 Dec, 30, 1930 ONNIE MANKKI. 2,218,465 Gunnison OCU. 15, 1940 2,255,315 Hamilton .Q Sept. 9, 1941 REFERENCES CITED n 2,331,752 Wilson oct. 12, 1943 The following references are of record in the 358,022 Mullen Sept 121 1944 me of this patent: 2,363,233 Dalton, 2d Nov. 21, 1944 Number Name Date m N t 531,711 Wilce et a1 Jan. 1, 1895 urgf', Fraggnf, Ocaelg 77.20'79 B311 00t- 11, 1904 73,675 sweden s611523, 1930 390,436 Mombel'g June 9, 1908 143,319 Switzerland 1930 1,375,402 MCAVOY et 2,1 ADT 19, 1921 533.863 Germany No 20, 1931 1,421,124 Brandt June 27, 1922 15 

